Yoga Asana Stand

Abstract

The yoga asana stand 100 supports a user performing a headstand. The stand comprises an upright member 110, two trapezius muscle support members 120 in the form of flattened bars or legs and a connector member 130. The upright member 110 comprises a rod with a number of holes 112 spaced along part of its longitudinal axis for connecting the support members 120. The holes 112 receive a releaseable connection pin 114 and allow a pivotal connection between the support members 120 and upright member 110, when pin 114 passes through a selected one of the holes 112. The upright member 110 can be relatively rotated from a position being substantially parallel to the support members 120 in a collapsed state, to a substantially vertical position and at an angle to support members 120 in an erected state.

1 . A yoga asana stand suitable for supporting a practitioner in Salamba Sirsasana posture, said stand comprising:
 when in use on a surface, an upright member and two adjustable trapezius muscle support members which are adjustably connected to the upright member so as to extend from the upright member to the surface and which are spaced apart so the practitioner can adopt said posture with weight borne by the head and neck of the practitioner in said posture being reduced by weight being borne by said support members.   
   
   
       2 . The stand of  claim 1  wherein said upright member is located between said support members so that support members diverge therefrom and the members are positionable such that the practitioner is able to place his/her arms on said surface in said posture unencumbered by the stand. 
   
   
       3 . The stand of  claim 1  wherein said support members comprise legs pivotally movable about their inner ends connected to said upright member so as to be selectively positionable at different separation distances by which they are spaced apart. 
   
   
       4 . The stand of  claim 1  wherein the support members are adjustably connected to the upright member so as to be positionable at selectively different angles to the surface thereby adapting the stand for use by different practitioners with different skills and strength. 
   
   
       5 . The stand of  claim 4  wherein the support members are removably connectable to said upright member at a selected one of a number of connection points incrementally located along part of the length of the upright member to thereby vary the angle of the support members to the surface. 
   
   
       6 . The stand of  claim 5  wherein the support members are coupled at their respective inner ends to a connector member which is removably connectable to the upright member. 
   
   
       7 . The stand of  claim 6  wherein the connector member is pivotably movable about a folding axis transverse to the upright member so as to enable the support arms to adopt differing angles to the upright member at the different connection points. 
   
   
       8 . The stand of  claim 7  wherein the connection points are defined by a number of holes provided through the upright member at spaced locations along part of its length and wherein the connector member includes a connection pin which is removably receivable in the selected one of the holes with the axis of the pin when received in one of the holes defining the folding axis. 
   
   
       9 . The stand of  claim 7  wherein the connector member is pivotably movable about the folding axis so as to allow the upright member and the two support members to be collapsed to a compact stored condition of the stand in which the included angle between the upright member and the plane of the two support members is or approaches 0°. 
   
   
       10 . The stand of  claim 9  wherein the support members are pivotably movable about their respective inner ends where they are coupled to the connector member so that when the stand is in its compact stored condition the support members are generally parallel to each other and the upright member is located therebetween. 
   
   
       11 . A method of supporting a practitioner in Salamba Sirsasana yoga posture, the method comprising providing a stand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, erecting the stand so that the upright member extends upwardly from a surface and the two support members extend away from their connection to the upright member while diverging from each other to rest at their outer ends upon the surface and define an acute angle between the lines of the respective support members and the surface, and adopting by the practitioner of the posture with the head located between the two support members and the support members being in contact with and providing support for the trapezius muscles of the practitioner.